Friday, June 04, 2010

From Muss I Denn up to Heartbreak HotelJOEP PEETERS HONOURS ELVIS PRESLEY AT SCHELDEJAZZ '10Hans Koert

On the 30th of May, 2010Joep Peeters and his Teriffic (sic) Ten closed the Scheldejazz'10 festival with a concert in the Porgy en Bess Jazz Club. The Porgy en Bess Jazz Club is located in Terneuzen in the southwest part of The Netherlands and was one of the locations of this three day annual jazz festival. ( 28th up to 30th of May, 2010).

Joep Peeters( photo courtesy: Hans Koert)

Joep Peeters is one of the regular guests of the festival. In the good old days he joined with his streetband Ochtendchloor (founded in August 1971) the "jaarlijkse Terneuzen-orgie"( = The annual Terneuzen orgy), as he labels it; the jazz festival organized by Frank Koulen, de Neger (= The Negro). Joep Peeters is one of those band leaders who surprises his audience over the years with his projects; This concert was dedicated to The King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley.Porgy en Bess (Terneuzen)( photo courtesy: Hans Koert)Elvis Presley (1935-1977), born in Tupelo Mississippi, developed, together with artist like Frank Sinatra and Michael Jackson, into the most important cult figures of the USA Pop history of the XXth Century. His first hit was That's All Right Mama from 1954 and hundreds would follow. Thanks to the popularity of Elvis and the Rock & Roll music Jazz became less popular and would labeled as old fashion ........Joep Peeters ( photo courtesy: Hans Koert)

When I heard about this project I was a bit worried that Joep had felt away from the jazz .... that he was a late victim of the revolution in pop music from the mid 1950s - with the fading interest for jazz music and the raising popularity of the "new pop-music"- the Rock & Roll.Steve Yokum( photo courtesy: Hans Koert)When I heard about it, I remembered a small article in Tuney Tunes, a Dutch magazine for popular music in the post-war years, from September 1955 ( TT 140) which was entitled: Vreemde verschijnselen in de muziek .... (= Strange phenomenons in music ..)Joris DeCock( photo courtesy: Hans Koert)

Connecticut U.S.A. Anno 1955

Er wordt een "jazzfestival" gehouden.(= A jazz festival is scheduled) De jeugd heeft het al weken van te voren in de krantenadvertenties gezien en de hele stad hangt vol bizarre aankondigingen over de naderende "jam-session" .......... (= The young people of the city talk about it for weeks - advertisements and announcements hang all around in the city). Het zal ongetwijfeld een bijzondere avond worden. ......... (= The evening will become very special). Het feest begint vrij rustig totdat het zo'n uur of tien wordt. (= Up to 10 a.m. the festival is rather relaxed). Dan vindt saxofonist Willis "Tailgate" Jackson het tijd worden er eens wat show bij te maken..... (= Then saxophone player Wilis "Tailgate" Jackson wants to make a party ..) ..) De knapen en meisjes vergeten de dans, ....,(= The boys and girls stop dancing) en dringen tot vlak voor het podium.(= and scrambled for the best places near the stage). Flessen drank worden te voorschijn gehaald en weldra wankelt en waggelt het hele publiek op de maat van Shake rattle and roll door de zaal .... (= They start tottering on the music the bottles with booze in their hands: Shake Rattle and Roll.) Langzaam maar zeker begint men te gillen en krijst het uit alle hoeken van de zaal "Shake, Rattle and Roll, Shake, Rattle and Roll ". (= Finally everybody is creaming and yelling: "Shake, Rattle and Roll, Shake, Rattle and Roll "(Sk)Chris and Wies Peeters( photo courtesy: Hans Koert)When I listened to the opening tune of the Teriffic Ten, the Nondeju-het-regent-de-hele-dag blues in Bes, ( = something like: Damned-It-is-raining-all-day-long-blues) as Joep entitled it, I thought about this fragment. We spelen de muziek uit jullie jeugd .( = We play the music from your youth) Of misschien beter: Er zijn mensen hier in de zaal die deze muziek nog herinneren ( = Or maybe better - There might be people in the audience who will remember this music)."Fernando Lewis"( photo courtesy: Hans Koert)Rock & Roll - the pop music of the 1950s - Elvis Presley hits - not really the music you would expect at a renowned jazz festival likeScheldejazz ..... but the audience didn't care about that - they enjoyed the hits of Elvis the Pelvis like Heartbreak Hotel - Love Me Tender - My Baby Left Me - My Blue Suede Shoes or All Shook Up. It even sung along with the sweet song version of Muss i denn, muss i denn zum Städtele hinaus, sung by Elvis in 1960. Oh no !!Chris Peeters( photo courtesy: Hans Koert)Joep had brought his daughters Chris and Wies, both graduated on the conservatory, for the (background) vocals and also Ferry Smans, better known as Fernando Lewis learned that he is a gifted vocalisttoo. Most tunes Joep introduced were sung by Elvis, but also other hits by Ray Charles ( Hallelujah I Love Him So), Bill Hailey's Comets ( Shake Rattle and Roll) or Chuck Berry ( Johnny Be (sic) Goode and Roll Over Beethoven).Robert Veen( photo courtesy: Hans Koert)The Teriffic Tenfeatures Joep Peeters piano and vocals - The Belgian trumpet player Joris DeCock, leader of the Night Owls - the US born Steve Yocum, trombonist fromthe Multifarious All-Stars.David Lukács( photo courtesy: Hans Koert)

David Lukacs, who plays reeds in bands like The Jimmie Lunceford Legacy Orchestra, 4BEAT6, The Beau Hunksand Kansas City After Dark - His colleague Robert Veen, who has an impressive collection of saxophones at home ( he brought an impressive baritone saxophone and a red shinny tenor on stage), doesn't need hardly any introduction: The Dutch Sidney Bechet ( Aces of Syncopation, the Beau Hunks projects(with Al Gallodoro)and The Jimmie Lunceford Legacy Orchestra.Wies Peeters( photo courtesy: Hans Koert)

Kees Schoone on the accordion ( fascinated by Zydeco and Irish folk music ) - Ferry Smans, better known as Fernando Lewis, leader of his Fernando Lewis band, but also active in Planet GrooveandMen in Black) - Richard Frijters bass player and Onno De Bruijn on drums. Chris and Wies Peeters vocals.Richard Frijters( photo courtesy: Hans Koert)

And if you wonder why Joep Peeters dedicated a program to Elvis Presley? Well, the manager of Elvis, Colonel Parker, was born and raised as Dries Van Kuijk in the city of Breda, the hometown ofJoep in the southern part of The Netherlands. In 1929Dries moved to the States and became Elvis' manager in August 1955.

The concert was finished with the Va Pensiero from the Nabuco opera of Verdi, better known as the Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves - don't worryyour still reading the Keep Swinging blog, dedicated to jazz and jazz-related music !! - in the version of Joep Peeters of course. This is a gimmick which dates from the first festivals when Frank Koulen was still alive. Traditionally it is a request from the audience to sing this song. Joep Peeters & the Teriffic Ten concluded the Scheldejazz '10 festival and, if Joep could help it, till next year.

keepswinging@live.nlJoep Peeters honours with his band The Teriffic (sic) Ten the music of Elvis Presley - no copies of the originals, but spontanious improvisations with a wink to the blues, swing, Zydeco, hill-billy, New Orleans Boogaloo, Jazz and Rhythm & Blues. On the 30th of May, 2010 Joep closed with his band the Scheldejazz '10 festival in Porgy en Bess in Terneuzen, in the southwest part of The Netherlands. If you love to be informed about the blog and its subject, feel free to register for the newsletter.